4. Be realistic about what you can change and what you cannot. Plastic surgery is used for contouring and changing things on the body beyond simply dieting or exercise.

5. Save up, and pay cash. Most doctors give a discount for paying in cash for the procedure. Plus, saving for plastic surgery will insure you really want it.

6. Don’t let price alone guide your choice of a surgeon. Pick a doctor for his experience, your consultation and, if possible, by talking to other patients. The doctor should have patient referrals you can call about their experience.

7. Commit to eating right and exercising regularly.

This old mom

Plastic surgery is not for the faint of heart. It usually involves incisions, implants, needles, sutures, powerful anesthetics and people in masks and surgical gowns. Recovery from surgery takes at least a week. On the up side, Utah’s prices tend to be lower than the national average. Also, patients can combine procedures or take advantage of special deals for lower prices. Here’s a list of the most common procedures involved in the “mommy makeover.”

Breast Augmentation$4,700 and up depending on implant material. Breast implants, made of silicone or saline, are placed under the breasts through incisions.

Injectable treatment for facial wrinkles $200 and up. Botox and various wrinkle-filling injections can be administered during an office visit. The effect with neuromuscular toxins like Botox, however, only last a few months and must be repeated.

Tummy Tuck$3,800 to $8,500. An incision is made above the pubic area and excess skin is removed. The procedure may include tightening of the underlying abdominal muscles using sutures.

Breast Lift$3,800 and up. Various incisions and skin removal. The nipple is moved to a higher position. A breast lift usually will not affect breast-feeding.

Liposuction$3,500 and up. Surgeon removes fat from hips or tummy with a hollow metal tube and a pump.

It’s important to remember every surgical procedure has risks, including bleeding, infection and adverse reactions to anesthesia.

Utah Daddy Job?

Blame it on the metrosexual effect if you want, but plastic surgery is growing in popularity among American men, especially liposuction, rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation procedures.

Nationally, men account for 18 percent of cosmetic surgery procedures. But, despite the surprisingly high acceptance of plastic surgery among Utah women, men here aren’t as interested in getting a “daddy job,” whatever that might entail.

Men account for only about 10 percent of cosmetic surgery in Utah. “We are below the national average,” Dr. Renato Saltz says. But he can’t explain the discrepancy between Utah men and women’s attitudes. “Again, maybe it has to do with the culture.”

Saltz gets more male patients than the state average—up to 15 percent of his business—because he has a clinic in Park City. Park City’s demographics, of course, include affluent out-of-state residents with second homes.

But Saltz says his numbers may increase as Utah men gradually become more image conscious. “I get a lot of male patients through my spa,” Saltz says. “They come in for a facial and become plastic surgery patients.”